Clock



A DORSEY March 25, 1930.

CLOCK Filed Deo. 23, 1922 INVENTOR m 'D ATT RNEYS Patented Mar. 25,193()igstsiz,

ARTHUR Donsnr, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CLOCK Application filed December23, 1922. Serial No. 608,600.

This invention relates to certain improvements which are generallyapplicable to clocks but which are designed primarily for incorporationin a clockwhich is used forcthe purpose of delivering power ofappreciable extent, either continuously or periodically, asdistinguished from a clock which merely serves the purpose of actuatingtime indicating elements. For convenience in this description butwithout limitation on the scope or uses of the invention there has beenillustrated. in the drawings a clock which is so constructed as to notonly indicate time but also actuate power take-off elements which engageperiodically other elements to be actuated under the power delivered bythe clock, for the doing of useful work, as in the tripping of levers tocontrol electric switches. Accordingly, the description will be aivenwith respect to this specic'application, in l the interest of clearness,but wherever reference appears either in the specification or claims tothe power take-0H arms or the elements actuated thereby it is to beunderstood that power may be taken off by other means' and may beemployed to serve other purposes. 4.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to construct a clock inwhich the vparts are so disposed as to make it unnecessary for the powertaken o to be led through the clock train. Heretofore, it has been the ipractice in constructing clocks having power take-offs, to take thepoweroi a lay shaft Which is operatively connected through at least apart of the clock train with the driving power, such as a main spring.The effect of this relation is that when the greatest amount of power isbeing delivered the greatest-amount of friction is set up ithetransmission elements so that the rictional losses are greatest at thevery time when the demand is greatest. This 4relatively great rictionallossl means that the machine as a whole is ineicient and necessitatesthe use of a prime mover of greater capacity than would otherwise benecessary. Further, variations in power impressed upon the clock trainin a construction of this lnd necessarily affects 50 adversely the timeindicating accuracy since,

generally speaking, the accuracy of a time piece is dependent upon theconstancy 0f the load and the maintenance of unchanging conditions withrespect to all of the parts.

By providing for this condition the prime mover, in order to deliver agiven amount of powerto the power take-0E may be of substantially lessercapacity than .heretofore since the eiciency of the construction insuresthe delivery of a relatively great amount of power in useful form. Theresult described is accomplished, in general,- by dividing the power atits source and leading so much` of the power through the clock train asmay be necessary for accurate operation ofthe time piece and theremainder tothe power take-olf through means which` are physically andmechanically independent of the. elements of the clock train.

Other objects of the invention have to do with structural features whichare of importance in supporting the clock mechanism within the case,strengthening the case, and in mounting the case removablyon a support.v.Other features are concerned with the construction of the powertake-ofi' elements and the time indicating members by which adjustmentsin the time indicating mechanism itself may be made without disturbingthe power take-olf devices and by which the power take-off devices maybe adjusted for sequential operation.

The invention will be described with greater particularity hereinafterwith reference to the embodiment thereof pointed out hereinbefore. Inthe drawings:

vFigure 1 isa view in front elevation of the improved clock showing timeindicating mechanism, power take-olf -arms and an elemerit to.beactuated.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through the parts shown in Figurel.

The clock case a may be formed of one piece drawn to a' cup and havingat its rear edge an annular ange a to-which is secured azback plate bwhich is dished for strength as indicated at b and lapped on the flangea to -insure a firm connection therebetween and offer a trussed 'supportfor the mechanism which is to be supported thereby. The case thus formedof two parts is'adapted to be supported removably on a panel or in likemanner indicated at c by means of three screws d, d', d2, which passthrough the flange a and the 5 lapped portion of the back plate b. riwoof the screws d, d', are placed at equal distances on opposite sides ofthe center line of the case and near enough to the center line toeffectively' support the weight and resist torsional stresses. The thirdscrew d2 is placed on the center line 'ofthe case at its upper side,passes througha slot a2 formed in the ange a and the lapped portion ofthe back plate b to facilitate removal of the case especially in closelyconfined spaces. The removal may be eected by looseningthe screw d2 andthen withdrawing the screws d, aZ, whereupon the case may drop away fromthe screw d?. This screw wi l serve the purpose of locating the casewhen it is to be mounted.

The sup orting frame for the clock mechanism in icated generally at e isfirmly mounted 4within the case by means of front vand back nuts f, f',which may engage rods y e' of the frame which extend between the frontand'rear walls of the case and act as trusses as well as supports.. Byloosenin all of the front nuts f and removin the lack platebit isevident that the entire c ook mech- 3o anism may be withdrawn asa unit.

While the invention is not concerned with any ofthe structural detailsof the parts of the clock mechanism as such itis concerned with therelation of the constituent elements thereof for the purpose of securingm-aximum iaccuracy and efficiency. The barrel g has one end of ythe'mainspring h secured thereto, the other end ofthe main spring being securedto the arbor/ Rotation of the barrel to com- 40 press the main sprinmaybe effected in any suitable manner as t rough a gear g which may berevolved through winding mechanism. The arbor is free to rotate underthe influence p of the spring.- A clock train of any suitable of themain spring h to the arbor z', several o the wheels of thisclock trainbeing indicated at c. A governor or escape of suitable form is indicatedconventionall at c. Rotation of the arbor under the in uence of the mainspring is controlled by the escape in the usual manner. L The front endof the arbor extends through the case a and carries thereon through anysuitable securing devices means from which power may betaken oi of thearbor either continuously or periodically for '.the purpose of vdoinguseful work. In the lillustrated embodiment two arms Z are shown assecured operatively to the arbor i and ex- 60 tending radiallytherefrom, these arms being adapted to deliver power as to otherelements m m disposed respectively in their L aths when revolved withvthe arbor. It may Ee assumed, for instance, `thatythe two arms f m mactuate4 switch mechanism. Whether `maintained in fixed relation to eachother by form isconnected o erativel at the rear side` p y f tendedfunctions and deliver power at any or not power is taken 'o' of thearbor continuously or, as illustrated, periodically, the improvedconstruction insures delivery of maximum power depending upon thecapacity of t-he source (the main spring) with minimum losses infriction and least disturbances which aect the accuracy of the timeindicating mechanism.

In order to secure the power take-oif elements and the time indicatingdevices to the arbor and permit their adjustmentswith respect to-eachother and with respect to the arbor, the latter has secured thereto ascrew z" which has secured to its outer end a frictional lock nut 2. Onthe screw i is disposed loosely a sleeve o which is shouldered to bearagainst the end of the arbor. This sleeve may carry adjacent itsmid-section an annular bushing 02 on which may be mounted 'a timeindicating/dial p and the power take- 85 L0E arms Z. The sleeve o isalso shouldered as.

as o3 to provide a bearing surface against which the elements Z and pmay be jammed for lockin A lock nut q is threaded on the exterior o thesleeve o and bears against one of the elements Z, p to j am the three ofthem in locking engagement against the shoulder o3. From. thedescription given it will be evident that when the nut 2 is screwed onit. will engage the outer end of .the sleeve o and unite all of theparts so as to rotate with the arbor i. When the nut 2 is backed ofi'the sleeve o may revolve freely thereon with the elements Z, p, butthese elements will be 10o means of the jam-nut g. However, the relationbetween the parts Z, p, may be changed by backing off the jam-nut q aswill be evident. To the. `case is secured a suitable pointer r whichco-operates with the time indicating dial p in such manner as toindicate the time. Each of the arms Z may be scored as at Z so that theymay be conveniently set in such relation to the `time indications on thedial as to be adapted to perform their inpredetermined time.

Changes vin the details of construction of any `of the,parts maybe madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention so long as the broadresults sought to be achieved are' accomplished by means which o eratein accordance with the principles escribed herein.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, with clock mechanism,l

,including an arbor actuated thereby', power g means, and independentreieasable means fior setting the power take-o devices in predeterminedrelation with the time indicating means.

2. In combination with clock mechanism an arbor actuated thereby andhaving' a set screw secured in its end co-axially therewith, a removablesleeve mounted revolubly on the set screw and adapted to be securedthereby m in xed relation to the arbor, power take-0E devices and timeindicating mechanism supported'adjustably on the sleeve'and a lock nutthreaded on the sleeve and adapted to secure the power take-off devicesand time in- 15 dicating mechanism in desired position.

This specification signed this 21st day of December, A. D. 1922.

ARTHUR DORSEY.

